Translation of general terms and conditions

Due to the unstoppable technological progress, international trade is nowadays increasingly conducted via the Internet. This makes it possible to conveniently order clothing from Italy or technical equipment from the USA via online shops from your computer in Germany. Of course, these global transactions are subject to certain framework conditions of the respective companies, namely the so-called General Terms and Conditions (GTC), which have to be available in the different languages of the parties to the purchase contract or translated into the different languages. A professional translation of GTC not only provides legal security for the buyers, but also for the sellers.

Why do general terms and conditions have to be translated into other languages?

From country to country and from company to company, the applicable terms and conditions may vary considerably. In Germany, for example, buyers have a right of return of 14 days, whereas in France they may only return the delivered goods within 7 days. A precise, idiomatic and correct translation of the GTC of the respective country is absolutely necessary so that customers know their rights in detail when buying a product from abroad on the Internet.

Legal regulations for the translation of German GTC

In Germany, every operator of an online shop is legally required to have its terms and conditions translated into the languages in which the shop's website can be viewed. This ensures that the German general terms and conditions are also communicated in the respective language to English or US customers, for example, who order from a German online shop. When translating GTC from German into English, however, it is not only important to transfer every word from the source language into the target language. The translator may need to add explanations regarding German consumer protection laws, as these are different from those in the UK and the USA. Similarly, the cancellation policy in Germany differs from that in other EU countries. In order to prevent legal issues between customers and operators of online shops from different countries, the GTC should only be translated by qualified legal translators who are familiar with the consumer protection laws of the respective countries.

Generally, the translations of GTC do not need to be certified, nor is this legally required. However, in special cases - e.g. legal disputes, notarization or in certain cases of company takeovers and mergers - the translations of the terms and conditions are certified. The publicly appointed and sworn translators of AP Fachübersetzungen are authorized to offer professional translations of your general terms and conditions into any language and with certification.

Our recommendation for the translation of your general terms and conditions

We at the specialist translation and interpreting agency AP Fachübersetzungen in Nuremberg have been specialized in professional legal translations of general terms and conditions (GTC) for many years. To ensure that the translated GTC comply with international quality standards, each translation is carefully checked and proofread by trained experts (linguists and, if necessary, by lawyers specializing in this field) after completion.